Deciding to put gambling behind you is a positive, protective step. Self-exclusion is one of the most effective tools for making that decision stick: you ask a scheme, an operator or your bank to refuse your gambling activity for a chosen length of time. Because you arrange it in advance, it works precisely when willpower is hardest to rely on.
This page describes how the main forms of self-exclusion work in plain terms. Rules and scheme details vary by country and change over time, so we keep the specifics general and point you to official sources. Treat this as a map of your options, not legal advice.
What self-exclusion is
Self-exclusion is a voluntary agreement that you will not be allowed to gamble for a set period. You choose to register, you choose the length, and the relevant party — a national scheme, a gambling operator or your bank — commits to turning you away during that time. It is normally free, and it is designed to be easy to start and deliberately harder to undo before the period ends.
The key idea is timing. You make the choice while you are clear-headed, and the block does the work later, when you might otherwise act on impulse. That is why self-exclusion is treated as a form of self-care rather than a punishment.
Self-exclusion typically runs for a minimum period you select — often ranging from several months up to several years — and many people renew it. The point is to remove the option of gambling for long enough to build new habits.
National self-exclusion schemes by region
Many countries — and many US states — run an official, centralised self-exclusion programme that covers licensed operators in one step, instead of you contacting each site individually. The exact coverage and rules differ from place to place, so the most reliable move is to search for your own country's or state's official self-exclusion scheme and register through its government or regulator website.
What is GamStop and how does it work?
In the United Kingdom, the best-known programme is GamStop. GamStop is a free self-exclusion service that covers gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. You register once with some basic details, choose how long you want to be excluded, and UK-licensed online operators are then required to prevent you from opening or using a gambling account with them for that period. Because it is centralised, a single GamStop registration applies across the operators it covers, rather than one site at a time.
Other regions run their own equivalents through their gambling regulators. The names, sign-up steps and coverage vary, which is exactly why you should use the official scheme for where you live. A government or regulator domain is the safe place to register — avoid any third-party site that asks for payment to "self-exclude".
Any national scheme only covers operators it is allowed to reach — usually those licensed in that jurisdiction. It does not automatically cover unlicensed or offshore sites. We come back to that gap below.
Operator-level self-exclusion
You can also self-exclude from a specific gambling site or casino directly. Every licensed operator is generally required to offer this: you ask them to close or bar your account for a set period, and they must stop you logging in and stop sending you marketing.
This is useful in two situations — when there is one particular site you struggle with, or as an extra layer on top of a national scheme. The limitation is obvious, though: an operator-level ban only affects that one company. If you have accounts in several places, you would need to repeat the process with each, which is why a centralised scheme is usually the stronger starting point.
Bank and card gambling blocks
Many banks and card providers now offer a gambling block — a toggle in the app or online banking that refuses to authorise payments to gambling merchants. Switching it on means transactions to betting sites and casinos are declined at the point of payment.
This is a powerful complement to self-exclusion because it works at the money layer rather than the account layer: even if you reach a site that a scheme doesn't cover, the deposit can be blocked. Some banks also add a built-in cooling-off delay before the block can be switched back off, which makes it harder to reverse in a weak moment. Check your banking app or ask your provider whether a gambling block is available on your account.
Self-exclusion vs a browser blocker — why use both
Self-exclusion and a browser blocker solve different parts of the same problem, so the strongest setup uses both — belt and braces.
- Self-exclusion is legal and account-level. It tells regulated operators and banks to refuse you. It is authoritative, but its reach stops at the operators a scheme is allowed to cover.
- A browser blocker is technical and device-level. Our free extension checks every address you try to open against a built-in blocklist and stops the page from loading — including the unregulated and offshore sites that national schemes typically can't touch.
In other words, self-exclusion closes the front door at licensed operators, while a blocker covers the side doors — search results, ads and offshore casinos that ignore self-exclusion rules entirely. Used together, they leave far fewer gaps than either on its own. For the full how-to, see how to block gambling sites, and for the wider picture read how to stop gambling.
Set up self-exclusion, switch on your bank's gambling block, and add the browser extension on every device — then ask someone you trust to help keep the settings in place. Each layer catches what the others miss.
Frequently asked questions
What is GamStop and how does it work?
GamStop is the UK's free national self-exclusion scheme. You register once, choose how long you want to be excluded, and gambling companies licensed in Great Britain are then required to prevent you from opening or using an account during that period. Because it is centralised, one registration applies across the UK-licensed operators it covers.
Is self-exclusion free?
Yes. Legitimate self-exclusion is free, whether you use a national scheme, ask an individual operator, or switch on your bank's gambling block. You should never have to pay to self-exclude — if a website asks for money to register you, it is not the official scheme. Always sign up through your country's or state's official regulator or operator.
Can I self-exclude from all gambling at once?
A national scheme lets you cover many licensed operators with a single registration, which is the closest thing to "all at once" for that jurisdiction. To get broader coverage, combine it with your bank's gambling block and a browser blocker. No single tool reaches every site, so layering them is how you get near-complete protection.
Does self-exclusion block unregulated or offshore sites?
Not always. National schemes and operator bans only cover gambling companies they are allowed to reach — usually those licensed in your jurisdiction. Unregulated and offshore sites operate outside those rules and often ignore self-exclusion. This is exactly the gap a browser blocker fills, by stopping those sites from loading on your device.
Can you ban yourself from a casino?
Yes. You can ask a specific online casino or betting site to close or bar your account for a set period — this is operator-level self-exclusion, and licensed operators are generally required to offer it. It only affects that one company, so if you use several sites, a national scheme that covers many operators at once is usually the better starting point.